


Petting Zoo

by CherieoftheDragons (SignCherie)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Animals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jaehee Kang (Mentioned) - Freeform, Miscommunication, Petting zoo, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Saeyoung Choi (mentioned), Shenanigans, Zen (mentioned), ray's route spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 21:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15300822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SignCherie/pseuds/CherieoftheDragons
Summary: Saeran is thrilled to discover a petting zoo nearby. MC is... less than enthusiastic. Shenanigans ensue.Spoilers for Ray's route.





	Petting Zoo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rainylune](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Rainylune).



> This is my part of an art/writing trade with the amazingly talented [Rainylune](https://rainylune.tumblr.com/), who drew gorgeous art of my faery AU [The Mysterious Flower Shop](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14235153/chapters/32822577). Everyone should go look at Rainylune's work; it's _wonderful._
> 
> This is Good Ending Saeran. Saeyoung has been rescued.

 

“Look! Look what I found!”

Saeran could barely contain his excitement as he thrust the flyer at his princess. Smiling, a question in her eyes, she took the paper from him, then scanned the words across the top.

“A… petting zoo?”

He nodded, all but bouncing in his excitement. He hadn’t known such a thing existed. “Can we go? Will you go with me?”

She hesitated only briefly. “Of course we can go. When we find some time, we’ll talk about it.”

“What about tomorrow?”

She blinked.

He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. A place full of animals. Goats and rabbits and ponies… he’d never seen any of these animals, and there was a place where you could actually go and pet them? Feed them? “We don’t have plans for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow. Right. Yes, of course.”

Yes! Thrilled, he threw his arms around her, pulling her tight against him. “I can’t wait to go with you! Thank you!”

She squeezed him back, pressing her cheek against his chest, and hummed in response.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Saeran waited as patiently as he could for her to come home from work, his mind full of the thoughts of all the animals he would see.

About fifteen minutes before she was due to arrive, his phone buzzed. It was her. He picked up right away.

“Hello?”

“Saeran. I have bad news.”

Immediately he worried. “What is it?”

“It’s… Elizabeth the 3rd. She’s sick.”

It took a second for her words to sink in, and when they did, relief swept over him. “I’m sorry to hear that. Has Jumin got a doctor in to see her?”

“Yes, but I think I should go over there. I’m sure he needs moral support.”

Saeran had never known Jumin to need moral support for anything, but he supposed she knew best. “Oh. Okay. Will you be back in time for the petting zoo?”

“I — I don’t know. You should probably go without me. Maybe you can call Saeyoung?”

Grimacing at the idea, he shook his head, then remembered that she couldn’t see him. “No, I’d rather go with you.” He loved his brother, but Saeyoung might tease him mercilessly if he did something naive. Which he probably would.

“Oh,” she said.

“I can wait until tomorrow. Then we can go together!”

“Yes… okay.”

“Great!”

Waiting another day was a little disappointing, but he didn’t mind. He knew the two of them would have so much fun together tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Jumin frowned as MC stroked his cat’s fur. He always enjoyed her presence, but…

“You didn’t have to come all this way. I have a team of experts to attend to Elizabeth the 3rd’s health.”

“I know, but I thought she might feel better to have another person around. And I wanted to be here for you during this difficult time.”

As much as he worried for Elizabeth the 3rd’s health at all times, he was quite startled that his friend was so concerned that the cat had sneezed this morning. Well. MC was a very compassionate person. He supposed he should not be surprised.

 

* * *

 

The next morning before work, as Saeran and his princess ate breakfast, her phone buzzed. Frowning, she picked it up, typed a few words, then slipped it into her pocket. When she looked up, her eyes were apologetic.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s Yoosung. He… he needs help dyeing his hair this afternoon. I’m so sorry. Um… why don’t you invite Zen to the petting zoo? I’d hate for you to have to wait for me.”

“Oh.” Quelling his disappointment, he considered the possibility. Zen was a good friend, but he wouldn’t understand Saeran’s excitement the way MC would. “Can’t Yoosung’s hair wait?”

“I’m afraid not. He’s really concerned about his roots. Really, it’s all right if you go without me. I don’t mind.”

It was sweet of her to offer, but… “That’s all right. We can go tomorrow, then. There’s no rush. The petting zoo will still be there.”

She bit her lip. “That’s true.”

 

* * *

 

“I didn’t know you knew so much about hair dye. This is great! I never can get the back of my head right by myself.”

“It’s no problem. I wanted to help.”

“I can tell. I didn’t expect you to offer to come over. Do you think you can help me again next time?”

“Sure. I’ll be glad to. Hey… you don’t think you’ll need help with anything tomorrow, do you?”

 

* * *

 

The next day was Saturday. When Saeran got up, she was waiting for him in the kitchen.

“Saeran,” she began.

His heart sank. “You have plans again today?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been promising Zen I’ll help him with his lines for weeks, and tomorrow is his first rehearsal.”

“What time will that be? Can we go to the petting zoo when you’re done?”

“I — It’s just that Jaehee wants me to come with her to a coffee tasting event in the afternoon, and it’s her only time off. You really shouldn’t have to wait for me. You could ask Yoosung…?”

He sighed. He’d waited this long; he might as well wait a little more. He didn’t want to exclude her just because she was being a good friend to others. So he crossed the room and took her in his arms.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I know you’re busy. I’ll wait until you can go with me.”

“Oh.”

Something sounded off in her voice. He pulled back, looking at her face. “What’s wrong?”

She bit her lip. “Saeran. I— I—”

Was she worried about disappointing him? “It’s all right,” he told her. “I understand your commitments. I’m willing to wait as long as you need.”

She sighed. “Tomorrow. We’ll go tomorrow. I promise this time.”

 

* * *

 

It was worth the wait. Saeran couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm, practically skipping through the zoo. The two of them fed the goats, and he laughed as the animals’ tongues tickled his hands. Throughout it all, he thought that his princess seemed a little tense, but she smiled every time he looked at her, so he dismissed it as his imagination.

As they walked hand in hand through the petting zoo, every new sight felt like a dream. He knew that for other people, this was nothing special, but for him, it was everything. It was more than he ever imagined.

Spying the ponies, his pulse sped up. He’d always wanted to see a pony. As a child, they seemed like magical creatures, little horses that children — good children — could ride. He was too old to ride one now, but he’d learned that he was good, just as good as other children. He’d deserved ponies just as much as any other kid.

And now he finally had his chance to see them himself.

In his excitement, he started forward at a near run — and was jerked back by MC’s hand clutching his.

Surprised, he turned to look at her, and was startled to see she’d shrunk in on herself, one arm crossed over her chest protectively, her head ducked low.

“Princess? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head and looked away.

Now he was getting worried. Stepping forward, he reached for her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek. “Please tell me. Did I do something wrong?”

At that, her eyes shot back to meet his. “No, no. Of course not. It’s not you.”

Her voice was shaking, and he realized her whole body was trembling. Worry turned to panic. “Please,” he begged. “Tell me what it is so I can help.”

She let out a breath. “It’s so stupid.”

“It can’t possibly be stupid if it’s upsetting you this much. Please, princess.”

“It’s…” Her voice dropped so low he had to strain to hear it. “The ponies.”

He blinked. “The ponies?”

She gave the smallest of nods, her eyes fixed on their hands where they were joined. “When I was a little girl, I was thrown from a pony that got spooked. I hit my head on a rock, and it was bleeding everywhere. I went to the hospital…” She fell silent.

Horror swept through him. “That’s awful. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s stupid to still be afraid of them. They’re just ponies. I’m not even close to them; they’re not going to hurt me.”

If there was one thing Saeran understood, it was past trauma creating irrational fears. Suddenly, seeing the ponies now meant nothing to him at all. Deftly, he slid an arm underneath her legs and swept her up into his arms, then marched away from the ponies with determination.

When they reached the zoo’s exit, he set her down on her feet, cupped her face with one hand, and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

She gasped, then sighed, melting into it.

When he broke the kiss, he let the thumb on her cheek caress her skin softly. “Do you know that I’m afraid of heart shapes?”

She blinked. “You are?”

He gave a small nod. “The elixir bottles were shaped like that. Now I panic every time I see a valentine.”

Her lips parted. “Saeran…”

To silence her, he touched his thumb to her lips. “Stupid, right? It’s just a heart. It can’t hurt me.”

“It’s not stupid. You had a serious trauma. Of course you would feel…”

Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying. “Oh.”

He smiled, suddenly understanding something. “This is why you kept putting off coming here, isn’t it?”

Her cheeks turned red. “I’m sorry. I was embarrassed to tell you. I wanted you to think I was strong.”

His dear, sweet princess. He leaned forward to press his mouth to hers again, just a brief brush of lips. “If there’s one thing you’ve taught me, it’s that it’s okay not to be strong all the time.”

She pulled back with a huff. “Well. It sounds different when you’re talking about someone  _ else.” _

He laughed at that, wrapping both arms around her to squeeze her tight. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “Get some ice cream instead.”

With a sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”


End file.
